Trek Uganda 2016 Event Itinerary

This superb trekking itinerary is located in the Ugandan highlands and takes us from the Virunga volcanoes to ‘The Impenetrable Forest’ of Bwindi, home to Uganda’s mountain gorilla population which numbers around 320, approximately half the total number remaining in the world.

Bwindi is located in the south western corner of Uganda where the terrain consists of volcanic mountains and deep valleys and is close to the borders of Rwanda and The Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our Trek Uganda challenge offers a tough and varied trekking experience with the added bonus and ‘must see’ experience of a possible close encounter with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Found in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest the mountain gorillas are accompanied by a treasure-trove of species that have populated this 25,000 year old forest.

Our final destination is the Nkuringo Gorilla Camp which is perched on a hill-top that overlooks the forest canopy and affords visitors magnificent, unconstrained views.

Day 1 

Overnight flight from London to Kigali, Rwanda. 

Day 2 Kigali, Rwanda – Uganda

On arrival in Rwanda we have a 6 hour overland transfer that takes us into Uganda to the small town of Kisoro where will have late lunch before continuing our journey to the start point for our trek at Mgahinga National Park and the Mgahinga Rest Camp, our home for the next two nights. This is where we meet our local guides who will brief us on the adventure that awaits.

Day 3  Golden Monkey Tracking                                                                             

Today we will trek into the bamboo zone on the lower slopes of the volcanoes to track golden Monkeys, and endangered species that is only found in this remote part of Africa.

Day 4  Mgahinga Rest Camp – Lake Mutanda                                                          

After breakfast we break camp and begin our trek north towards Kisoro. Our trek today takes us through an area of volcanic craters some of the slopes of which are being cultivated by the indigenous Bakiga farmers and home also to the Batwa pygmies. We camp tonight at Lake Mutanda Eco Camp.                      

Day 5 Lake Mutanda Eco Camp – Nshongi Camp    

We continue today in a northerly direction and having made our way down to the shore of Lake Mutanda we board dug-out canoes to be piloted up the lake by local tribesmen. The 2.5 hour journey takes us to Rwanjenje on the northern shore. From here we start a six hour trek to Rushaga at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and where we find our overnight accommodation at Nshongi Camp where we can dine under the stars by the roaring campfire.                   

                                                                                                                                               

Day 6 Trek to Nkuringo Gorilla Camp                        

                                                 

We will continue the trek north to Nkuringo Gorilla Camp. This is a challenging walk that skirts the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The Nkuringo Gorilla Camp is located on a hill top at 2161m on the Nteko Ridge which provides superb views across the Kashasha river valley to the forested hill known as 'Nkuringo' and the surrounding swathe of trees of the Bwindi Forest. The camp has panoramic views of the majestic volcanoes of the Virunga chain and across the escarpment into the Albertine Rift Valley within the DR Congo.  Overnight at camp.

Day 7 Gorilla Tracking

Half the group will enter the forest today to track the Nkuringo Gorilla Family Group, while the other half can relax in camp or take a guided tour of the local Nkuringo Community.

Day 8 Gorilla Tracking

The final group today will track the Nkuringo family of gorillas whilst the remainder of the group can relax in camp or take a guided tour of the local Nkuringo Community.

Tonight we will celebrate our achievements with dinner at Nkuringo Gorilla Camp.

Day 9 / Day 10

Travel back to UK.    

Feel Inspired? To find out more about Dream Challenges events please visit the website or contact us directly: 

W: www.actionforcharity.co.uk . E: events@dreamchallenges.co.uk T: 01590 646410

                                                      

Team Challenge 2015 Highlights...

Firstly a big huge well done to all of our wonderful staff for making 2015 truly an epic year! 

We have received such amazing feedback from our participants about how our staff are so on point when it comes to organisation, friendly service and creating quality challenges we couldn't be prouder. 

For anyone considering taking on a challenge, you will be in safe hands from start to finish! 

So, to round off the our Blog for 2015 we thought we would ask team challenge for their highlights of the year which saw 4000 people participate and where we raised over £4.3 million for various charities. 

Ann, Director of Action for Charity and Dream Challenges

My Highlight for 2015 was the Regain Sports Award Lunch – Action for Charity Have been organising the lunch for 15 years and it has been a delight To have witnessed over those years the joy of tetraplegics at the lunch Giving them an opportunity to all meet up and share their ups and downs Over the year whilst enjoying a lovely meal and having a few drinks!

It was particularly poignant this year to witness The Tetraplegic Achievement in Sport award being presented to Nathalie McGloin who became tetraplegic at 16. Here is the picture of her being Presented the award – looking so modest – considering she is the Only female racing driver with a spinal injury in the UK.  It was  A great highlight as she was so happy to receive the award.

Calum, Director of Action for Charity and Dream Challenges

My highlight was definitely Trek Uganda in Jan/Feb. Attached is a picture of a friend I made along the way who carried my walking stick in return for several Galaxy Minstrels!

Mike, Director of Dream Challenges

My Highlight for 2015 would have to be the success of the Ben Nevis Charity Challenge Event. In only its second year it was a great achievement to have 111 teams participating in June and 48 teams in September.

Susan, Operations Manager

My highlight was Race the Sun Brecon Beacons in June where, after a very successful event,  we celebrated lovely Trish’s 60^th birthday in style.

Abigail,  Finance Manager

My highlight was seeing all the ladies warming up for Ride the Night at Windsor racecourse.   The atmosphere was wonderful, so many inspirational women in once place looking so bright and colourful (lots of pink!) ahead of their challenge. A very emotional time.

Chrissy, Operations Assistant Action for Charity

My highlight of the year was at our Race the Sun Brecon Beacons event when Ann pulled up alongside a team of cyclists and proceeded to ask them why they did not have their helmets, and told them they did have one at the start even though they tried to tell her they hadn’t. They eventually decided they would buy one at the next town and they looked very sheepish, only for Susan (on the right in the picture) to see their race numbers pinned onto their t-shirts stated they were taking part in a completely different event and were not part of our event. Ann apologised an drove off to our next location. At least she was thinking of safety first no matter whose event!

Sophie, Challenge Event Organiser Dream Challenges

My highlight is going on the LTFC in the Jordan Desert as this was my first international event for Dream Challenges. It was an amazing event, saw beautiful views and trekked with inspiring people.

Haylie, Challenge Event Organiser Dream Challenges

My 2015 highlight would have to be Tree planting on Trek Borneo! Feeling Ive contributed to the environment in a small way.

Hannah, Challenge Event Organiser Dream Challenges

My highlight of the year was going on my first Dream Challenges event – The Ben Nevis Charity Challenge. It was such a great atmosphere and was lovely to meet all the 

participants!

High fives team!

Team challenge look forward to helping you #Make2016Count! 

Feel Inspired? To find out more about Dream Challenges events please visit the website or contact us directly: 

W: www.actionforcharity.co.uk . E: events@dreamchallenges.co.uk T: 01590 646410

#Make2016Count

Each new year that arrives gives the opportunity to take on a new challenge! Problem is when it comes down to it getting the inspiration and the motivation to put the wheels in motion can be tricky. We blame this on many different reasons... I am too old, too over weight or I just don't have enough time. 

Well, a bit of inspiration for you is that  in 2015 we had 4000 people take on our challenges and we know that each person had different levels of fitness, variety of reasons for doing the challenge, a range of ages and all from different walks of life. 

We wanted to delve a bit deeper and so here is the story of how our repeat participant Janet Duchenese found her motivation to take on a challenge for the last three years. 

I vowed to help the community...

I signed up for the Jordan trek 2015 after completing the Uganda trek the year before in 2014.  We signed up for Uganda to raise money for Alzheimer’sResearch UK as Steve’s father has Dementia and many of our friends also have family suffering from this.

While in Uganda we came across the Nkuringo Foundation and Primary School near our last camp where we saw the gorillas.  I vowed to help the community which is without running water or electricity and where many children are unable to go to school.  I signed up for the Jordan trek to help this village.  Since then we have a 100 strong sponsorship and have helped 75 children attend school – plus providing clothes, shoes and musical instruments for the community (Dream Challenges as an organisation is a sponsor!).

We are now raising money to build two more classrooms as the project has been so successful there is no more space in the school!  We have started to help a small pigmy reservation near the village as well as paying for three pigs and a sow to provide the children with a more varied diet (from their piglets – these will remain breeding pigs).

All the work my husband Steve and I have done is thanks to the inspiration of Dream Challenges.  We have just started the building project for classrooms with our ladder challenge – started yesterday and already four rungs in!

We have signed up to trek India next year with Dream Challenges – also for this school and community.

Steve and I will be 62 when we do the India trek.  The last three years have been a roller coaster thanks to Dream Challenges – and we aint finished yet!

#Make2016Count 

Thank you to Janet for sharing your story with us! 

To all of you thinking about taking on a new challenge even if you don't sign up for a 2016 challenge use 2016 to prepare for one of our 2017 challenges! Check out our website for all the details. 

We cant wait to help you #Make2016Count! 

Feel Inspired? To find out more about Dream Challenges events please visit the website or contact us directly: 

W: www.actionforcharity.co.uk . E: events@dreamchallenges.co.uk T: 01590 646410